2006/06/30

I became uncle

I became uncle to Kyra, the daughter of my sister. Congraulations and best wishes to Amy and Geoff. Last week, about six months after Bibiana's and my wedding, we went on a vacation. Prior to our honeymoon, we went on out-of-town trips. This time, similar to our cruise, Bibiana and I found the rhythm to get us a relaxing vacation. We rented a car and we slept in everyday. This way, we were never cranky from waking up early and could go wherever and whenever we wanted. On 18 June, we flew US Airway from Buffalo to Boston and visited my mother who was vacationing at my sister's home in Sturbridge, an hour west of Boston. Tuesday, 20 June, Bibiana and I hit Wrentham Premium Outlets. Wow, shopping non-stop with the higher Canadian dollar. Yes, I bought gifts for family and myself. Tuesday night we stayed in Rhode Island and tasted Rhode Island clam cakes. The nice surprise to Bibiana and me was that she liked them as leftovers the next day. Wednesday, 21 June, we visited Fall River and New Bedford in southern Massachusetts. Bibiana found the Lizzie Borden House, scene of the second most famous unsolved murder mystery after London's Jack the Ripper. Thursday, 22 June, we visited Boston town using the T, shopped in Brattle Bookstore and Filene's Basement, walked in Boston Common, Beacon Hill, Newbury Street, Copley Square and Boston Public Library. Thursday night, we went to Andover to visit a couple I knew from college and dined Korean in Lowell. Friday, 23 June, we returned to Rhode Island and took in Newport Mansions and the Newport Flower Show. Amy gave birth Friday afternoon. Saturday, 24 June, we went to Worchester Memorial to visit her and Kyra, and visited Harvard, MIT and the Charles River in Cambridge, and Union Oyster House and Quincy Market in Boston. All in all, Bibiana and I had lots of time to rest and see the sights. A nice vacation and good time to be uncle.

2006/06/04

Sunday New York Times on the White House

New York Times White House correspondent, Elisabeth Blumiller, has a farewell article about her five years covering the White House beginning September 10th, 2001. Another White House correspondent, David Sanger, has an in-depth article, A Talk at Lunch That Shifted the Stance on Iran, describing the development in the White House of the U.S. foreign policy on Iran. Both are worth reading.